Lighter



June 18, 1935. G. P. SCHMITT LIGHTER Filed Sept. l2, 1933 ATTORNEY Patented June i8, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2.005.476 LIGHTER George Philip Schmitt, New York, N. Y., assigner to Cardinal Producti. Inc., a corporation o1' New York Application September 12, 1933, Serial No. 689,114

10 Claims. (Cl. (B7-7) This invention relates to catalytic lighters for the purpose of enabling the united sleeve and cigarettes and the like, wherein vaporizable fluid holder to t tightly, though removably, within carried by absorbent material is caused to co-act the casing. The holder 6 has an inturned flange with a catalytic element in the presence of air, 8 at its outer end, to retain the catalytic eleto thus render such catalytic element incandesment, which appears here in the form of a blockv 5 cent, so that a cigarette or the like applied thereor pellet 9 of spongy platinum composition, havto and drawn upon, may be ignited. ing an aperture I0 therethrough. The pellet Lighters of this character, exemplified in U. S. 9 is supported in a socket il, having an aper- Patent No. 1,899,008, dated February 28, 1933, tured base and a surrounding wall l2, said socket,

10 provide a spacing chamber between the absorbent like the pellet 9, being retained by the inturned 10 and the catalyst, with air admission means to the flange 8. chamber, but this arrangement which is eiective As means for localizing the socket and pellet for a period when the absorbent material is fresh- I employ a split ring i3 which is tensioned withly charged with vaporizable fluid, fails to funcin the holder and lies against the socket.

m tion satisfactorily after that period, although the The socket Il is made of magnesium composiabsorbent material may still contain a quantity tion or other suitable material that is non-abof iluid, because suction applied through the sorbent and is of a refractory nature. cigarette will not draw the fluid from more re- The absorbent material 4 is held within sleeve mote portions of the absorbent material. 3 at its lower end as by lugs i4, cut from said g@ Therefore my invention consists in the provisleeve and inturned to thus support the absorbent sion of means, employed in a lighter of this charmaterial spaced from the bottom of casing l, to acter, for conducting atmospheric air to thebase provide a clearance i5. A perforated tube I6, of the absorbent material, together with the pro- (see Fig. 4) or a wire helix 11, having spaced vision of a passageway through the absorption coils, to thus form a tube, is disposed axially of materiaLso that suction applied to the outer end the sleeve 3, being embedded in the absorbent of the absorbent material will induce a flow of material, one end of said tube, i6 or Il, opening air to pass entirely through the absorbent mateinto clearance I5, and its other end opening into rial, thereby serving to convey to the catalyst the a space or chamber i8 that is formed in the fuel which is picked up in transit. holder 6, between socket il and the absorbent 3o Other features and advantages of my invention material. i 30 will hereinafter appear. In order that heat from th'e pellet 9 may not In the drawing: char the absorbent material 4, Iplace upon its Figure 1 is a side sectional view of my imupper end a block I9 of heat resisting, iluid perproved lighter. meable material, having an orifice 2U that is Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. aligned with the end of tube IG or il, said block 35 Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. i9 forming a cap for the absorbent material 4l Fig. 4 is a perspectiveyiew, exploded, and partand being localized as such by means of a flange ly broken away, of the container of the absorbent 2l that is inturned from the upper end of sleeve 3.

material and the holder for the catalyst, and The sleeve 3 is provided with one or more lon- 40 Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the lighter, showing gitudinal, indented channels 221 which communi- 40 the closure cap fitted thereon, in section. cate at their lower ends, through the gaps 23 In said views let Il indicate the lighter casing, formed in cutting out lugs I4, with the clearance having va cap 2 to t removably thereover, and I5. Similar channels 24 are formed in holder 6, let 3 indicate a cylindrical sleeve which is adapted the channels 22, 24 intertting to form one conto contain absorbent material, such for example tinuous channel when the holder is tted upon 45 as cotton Wool, here indicated at 4. The casing the sleeve. t is provided with an annular shoulder 5, to form The upper end of this continuous channel, ina seating stop for the cap. dicated at 25 in Fig. 5, is exposed to the atmos- A hollow, cylindrical holder (i is adapted at phere when the cap 2 has been removed,.where' one end to iit snugly, but removably, over the by, upon applying suction to pellet 9, as by draw-50 outerend of sleeve 3,said outer end being reduced ing upon a cigarette whose end is placed over in diameter, as at l, to receive said holder, in aperture I0, atmospheric air is induced to flow order that the sleeve and holder, when fitted tothrough channels 24, 22, clearance l5, and up 'gethen may. have the same outside diameter through tube i6 or l1, in which latter path the throughout their combined length. This is for air picks up fuel from absorbent material 4 and 55 causes the mixture of air and fuel to impinge upon pellet 5, with the resulting incandescence of the latter, which ignites the cigarette.

It being desirable that the act of removing cap 2 shall have the effect of inducing a flow of atmospherlc air. to pass through channels 24, 22,

' l clearance I5 and tube i6 or I1, therefore I provide an annular bead 26 on casing I, which bead is to be snugly engaged by cap 2, to create an air-tight closure, whereby the act of removing the cap serves in the manner of a vacuum. pump to draw a charge of fuel and air up against the pellet. Also this air-tight closure means prevents evaporation of the fuel.

The casing I is also provided with a bayonet slot 2'I, and the holder 6 bears a protuberance 28 that is adapted to engage said slot to localize the holder, with the connected sleeve 3, and to lock them, in the operative position.

Variations within the spirit and scope of my invention are equally comprehended by the foregoing disclosure.

I claim:-

l. A lighter comprising a casing, a sleeve removably fitting said casing, absorbent material, to be saturated with vaporizable fuel, contained within said sleeve, a hollow holder axially and removably engaging said sleeve, a catalytic element carried by said holder in spaced relation with the absorbent material in said sleeve, and admission means enabling a ow of atmospheric air to pass lengthwise entirely through said absorbent material, toward the catalytic element, to convey fuel thereto.

2. A lighter comprising a casing, a sleeve removably tting said casing, absorbent material,

'y to be saturated with vaporizable fuel, contained within said sleeve, a perforated, tubular member V embedded lengthwise within said absorbent material, a hollow holder axially and removably engaging the outer end of said sleeve, a catalytic element carried by said holder, in spaced relation-with the absorbent material in said sleeve, and admission means enabling a flow of atmospheric air to p ass lengthwise through said tubular member toward said holder, to entrain fuel and convey it to said catalytic element.

3. A lighter comprising a casing, a sleeve removably tting said casing, absorbent material, to be saturated with vaporizable fuel, contained within said sleeve, a hollow holder removably engaging said sleeve, a catalytic element' carried by said holder in spaced relation with the absorbent material in said sleeve, said sleeve and holder being indented longitudinally and coincidentally, and said sleeve being ported near its base, to co-act with said casing in providing a passageway leading to the base of the absorbent material, whereby a suction pull through the holder rwill create a ow of atmospheric air through the absorbent material to entrain fuel and convey it toward the catalytic element.

4. A lighter comprising a casing, a sleeve removably i'ltting said casing, absorbent material, to be saturated with vaporizable fuel, contained within said sleeve, a perforated, tubular member embedded lengthwise within said absorbent material, a hollow holder removably engaging said sleeve, a catalytic element carried by said holder,

in spaced relation with the absorbent material in said sleeve, said sleeve and holder being indented longitudinally and coincidentally, and said sleeve being ported near its base, to co-act with said casing in providing a passageway leading to the base of said tubular member. whereby a suction pull through the holder will create a flow of atmospheric air through said tubular member, to entrain fuel from the absorbent material and convey it toward the catalytic element, the indenting in the holder extending above the casing wall, and removable closure means .for said casing adapted to cover said holder and admission means.

5. A lighter comprising a casing, a sleeve removably fitting said casing, absorbent material, to be saturated with vaporizable fuel, contained within said sleeve, a hollow holder axially and removably engaging said sleeve, a socket composed of refractory material supported by said holder, a catalytic element carried by said socket in spaced relation with the absorbent material in said sleeve, and admission means enabling a flow of atmospheric air to pass lengthwise entirely through said absorbent material, toward the catalytic element, to convey fuel thereto.

6. A lighter comprising a casing, a sleeve removably fitting said casing, absorbent material, to be saturated with vaporizable fuel, contained within said sleeve, an apertured cap composedof permeable, heat resisting material fitted in said sleeve at its upper end to form a retaining top for the absorbent material, a hollow holder removably engaging said sleeve, a catalytic element vcarried by said holder in spaced relation with said cap, and admission means enabling a ow of atmospheric air to pass lengthwise entirely through said absorbent material, toward the catalytic element, to convey fuel thereto.

LA-lighter comprising a casing, a sleeve removably fitting said casing, absorbent material, to be saturated with vaporizable fuel, contained within said sleeve, a hollow holder removably engaging said sleeve, a catalytic element carried by said holder in spaced relation with said absorbent material, means for the admission of air to the base of said absorbent material, an annular bead on said casing, and removable closure means for said casing adapted to cover said holder and admission means, and to co-act with said bead in creating an air-tight enclosure whereby, in removing the closure means a vacuum pumping effect is produced serving to pass air through the absorbent material in the path to the catalytic element.

8. A cigarette lighter comprising an open ended casing, an absorbent material adapted to be charged with vaporizable uid disposed within said casing, a cap fitted over one end of said casing, a disk of catalytic material supported by said cap in the path of vapor from said fluid, a surface of said disk being disposed for contact with a cigarette or the like, said casing being provided with means for the admission of air to the underside of said casing, and an air and vapor mixing chamber extending through said casing, whereby a supply of fumes will be presented to the underside of said disk.

9. A lighter comprising an open ended casing, an absorbent material adapted to be charged with vaporizable fuel disposed within said casing, a. disk of catalytic material supported co-axially on the open end of said casing in the path of vapor from said fuel, a surface of said disk being disposedfor contact with a cigarette or the like, said casing being provided with a passage for the admission of air to the underside of saidcasing, and a passageway through' said absorbent material communicating at the lower end with the interior of said casing and the air inlet passage and opening at the other end adjacent said 75 catalytic material to deliver a supply of air and vapor mixture thereto.

10. A lighter comprising a casing, a wick disposed in the casing and adapted to hold a quantity of volatile liquid, a cover movable into and out of engagement with the casing, a support carried by the casing above said wick, a catalytic element; mounted on said support, said 'cover being arranged to uncover an'air port to permit the flow of air to the wick, the wick having apassage therein to receive the air, said passage being arranged to emit air carrying vapor from the Wick to the catalytic element.

GEORGE PHILIP SCHMI'IT. 

